Renowned mathematician Ed Mintz, the creator of CinemaScore, a pioneering exit polling system for films, passed away at the age of 83 in Las Vegas. Mintz, along with his wife Rona, came up with the idea for CinemaScore after being disappointed by a movie they had seen and feeling let down by critics’ reviews.
The concept of CinemaScore involved asking moviegoers leaving theaters on opening nights to grade the films they had just watched. This innovative approach provided a crowdsourced alternative to critics’ opinions and gave studios valuable insights into audience reactions.
Mintz’s son Harold revealed that his father had vascular dementia, which ultimately led to his passing. Despite his health struggles, Mintz’s legacy lives on through CinemaScore, which continues to be a trusted source for grading movies and predicting box office success.
Over the years, CinemaScore has become an essential tool for studios to gauge audience sentiment and guide their marketing strategies. The system’s simple yet effective approach has earned it a reputation for accuracy and reliability in the film industry.
While some filmmakers, like Martin Scorsese, have criticized services like CinemaScore, Mintz firmly believed in the power of audience feedback. He saw CinemaScore as a reflection of true moviegoer opinions, even if they didn’t always align with critical acclaim.
In his memory, Ed Mintz leaves behind a lasting legacy in the world of film and entertainment, forever changing the way movies are evaluated and understood by audiences and industry professionals alike.
